Sterling Silver Begins to Melt
by KrystalBlaze - Jerikor
Summary: Chris/Stephanie. Chris loves Stephanie so much it hurts. But she's back with Hunter, and can't dream of anyone else. One turn after another leads to one end for Chris: suicide.


Disclaimer- Kurt Cobain wrote the song "You Know You're Right" and WWE belongs to Vince McMahon. 

Major angst warning. 

~ Blazer aka KrystalBlaze. ~

STERLING SILVER BEINGS TO MELT

__

Chris screamed. 

Stephanie woke up, her heart pounding and sweat riding down her face. She heard Hunter besides her snoring peacefully. She ran a hand over his bare back. He was real. Okay. He was real, everything was okay. She wasn't trapped in her nightmare. 

Stephanie blinked rapidly and quietly got out of the bed, taking her shirt from the ground where Hunter had tossed it. She slipped it on and went out of the bedroom into the kitchen. Still trembling and breathing hard, she poured her water and sat on the barstool, her nightmare haunting her. 

Why the hell was Chris in her dreams? He was her friend, her dear friend, but that gave him no reason to invade his dreams. He was in pain, she understood. But from what? A match? And why did it matter so much to her? 

__

~ I will never bother you 

I will never promise to ~

Stephanie McMahon. The object of his affection. How could she be so blind to see how he loved her? How could she not see the love in his eyes, the affection in his body movement and voice when he was around her? How could she not? Everyone else saw. She was the only one who refused to see, refused to acknowledge him at all, refused to admit they were more than friends were. 

Of course, Chris knew she didn't him in that way, but he saw her that way, plain as day. She was the water to his garden, the light to his heart. She alone held his love in a way it had never been held before. She was the apple of his eye, the apple of many eyes, he knew, but he alone knew she was essential to his soul, to his very being. 

And it wasn't as if she was seeing somebody else. She had been divorced from Hunter for so long, and she wasn't seen with any man unless she had to be. He smiled. If he could convince her of his undying love, she would have no one to leave no heart to break. 

__

~ I will never follow you

I will never bother you ~

She was divorced from Hunter, she knew, but how could she resist him? He captivated her in a way she had never been before. His body, his voice, his attitude… she loved him so much she sometimes thought she would die. 

And he loved her back. He had come, pleading, four months after they had been separated. The look in his eyes and tone of his voice had melted her heart, like silver in fire. Yes, he had been cruel. Yes, he had been unkind. And yes, he had humiliated her. But what did that matter? It was past, and he loved her now, loved her beyond reason, he had said. Of course, she had given him her heart once again. How could she not?

Stephanie thought it odd he wanted no one to know, but she would take him any way she could get him. She would die for him, if necessary, so much she loved him. Life was meaningless without him. How did she survive the months without him, without his beautiful body and his priceless love? 

Everything was perfect, she decided. She had given Hunter everything she had to give: her love, her life, her heart, and most importantly, the title belt. He wanted it, and he damned right deserved it. And she could give it to him. Begging, she had gone to her father. He was confused of that fact, but nevertheless agreed. And the belt had gone to him. He was happy, she was happy. 

Yes, everything was perfect. 

Except for the nightmares of Chris Jericho…

The ringing of the telephone interrupted her. Startled, she grabbed it, only to hear Hunter's breathing on the other end. 

"I got it, Steph," he said, almost angry. "It's for me."

"Okay." Confused, she hung up. 

__

~ Never speak a word again

I will crawl away for good ~

"Stacy?"  


"Hunter, when are you going to leave her?" Stacy Keble's voice was angry as the dogs of hell. "You have the belt, there's no more reason to keep dragging that damn bitch along. I miss you. You have to be at her house at night. I want you."

"I do too, Stace." Hunter spoke quietly and quickly. He former wife could be listening. A blow like that could be disaster. "I know, I want you too. I think of you all the time." 

"Then stop this."

"If I leave her, Stacy, she could take away the belt. That's why I'm even doing this. I have to keep this up for just a while longer. I need to grease the wheels a bit and prepare her for when I leave her, so that she'll be so heartbroken that it will be all she can think about. After that, we have all the time in the world, I promise." 

"But I miss you so much!"

"Stop complaining, Stace. You're the one who wanted who wanted me to try it, at least try it." 

"I didn't know she was such a sucker," Stacy said dumbly. 

"She's stupider than Chris Jericho is, Stacy. Honestly. You would think she would have some brains. She was just waiting for me to come back to her."

"I hate Chris Jericho." 

"I do to." 

Hunter suddenly heard feet hitting the floor. "I have to go, she's coming." He breathed. "I'll talk to you later, Mom." He finished just as Stephanie came in. "I love you." 

"I love you too, Hunter. More than anything." Stacy hung up. 

"What did she want?" Stephanie asked as she came back into the bed. 

"She was worried I hurt myself," Hunter said neutrally. He turned around to face her. She was lying facing him. "I love you, Steph. You're so beautiful, Steph." He kissed her face. "Good night." He turned over, wishing he could knock off this charade. 

He was deceiving two women and it was weighing heavily on him. 

But it's worth it! He reminded himself sharply. Stacy and Stephanie both had their uses… 

One the belt, one for something no one could ever find out…

__

~ I won't move away from here

You won't be afraid of fear ~

Chris hid the flowers behind his back. Stephanie was in the office, all-alone. She wouldn't be expecting, and the chances of success would be higher. If she weren't prepared, she would blurt out her love for him once he told her. 

"Okay, Stephanie, thanks for clearing that up, bye." Kurt Angle came out of the office, all smiles. He gave Chris a high five. "She's not expecting anyone for another thirty minutes. You have plenty of time." 

"Thanks, Kurt." He was relieved. At least now he was sure he would have no interruption. 

"I'm just glad you're finally getting it off you chest! It was dragging you down, my friend." 

"Well, today's the day. Wish me luck." 

"I would wish you luck but…"

Chris started. "But what?" 

"Luck is for losers." 

__

~ No thought was put into this

Always knew it would come to this ~

Stephanie leaned back in her chair. No more appointments for another thirty minutes! Whew! She finally had a break, one she needed and one she deserved. Kurt's problem had been minor, but some of the problems were large, like Torrie Wilson's supposed "stalker." Personally, Stephanie knew Wilson's problem was probably false, but as manager, she had to look into it. She jotted a note down to call the police. 

There was a soft knock at the door. She groaned. "What?" 

"It's Chris." 

Chris Jericho. She bolted up. What did he want? Her nightmare of his painful screaming still haunted her. She could still see his face, melted in pain. It pained her to see him like that. Was he hurt? Maybe that's why he wanted to talk to her. 

"Come in." She sat back down, pretending to be busy with papers. 

"Hi, Steph." He came in. Stephanie didn't up, but continued to write on a pink sheet of paper. 

"Yes, Chris, you have a problem you need to discuss?" She was acting cold, as if he was the cause of some problem. And she still didn't look up, just kept writing, as if the world could come crashing down on her and she wouldn't notice. It bothered Chris, but he shook it off. 

"Yes, actually, I do, Stephanie." 

"I'm busy, can you stop drawing it out?" Stephanie finally looked up. 

"These are for you," he said, smiling, as he put the flowers on her desk. 

__

~ Things have never been so swell ~

Stephanie's mouth dropped at the stunning array of pink, purple and blue flowers. They were her favorite colors. How could he have possibly known that? How much research had he done on her? She began to feel paranoid. He knew her favorite colors. He was in her dreams.   


He liked her…

"What… what…?" 

"Stephanie," Chris said seriously. "I've never loved anyone as much as I love you. I mean… Stephanie… you're like… air! I can't live with without you. I don't know if you feel the same way." The words tumbled out without preamble. "But, I mean, we could give it a shot, can't we? I've felt this way for so long, Steph, even when I made fun of you. I just wanted your attention. I would have stopped once you noticed me, and I did stop when you did!" The words barely made sense, but Chris was rambling like a madman.

"I just need a chance, Stephanie, to prove how much I care about you. Please don't turn me away."

Stephanie sat in shocked silence, her jaw partly ajar. She had never even guessed he felt this way. She never knew how much he was attracted to her. Was she blind? How long had he fooled her into thinking they were just friends? She blinked, staring at his pleading face. She opened her mouth to speak, shaking her head. She closed her mouth and looked down, shaking. 

She felt nothing for him. It chilled her someone could someone so much without being loved in return. How could someone be so unkind? How could someone turn down someone who saw you as the light of their life, the air of their breath? It hurt her that he cared for her so much and she was about to shoot him down, about to break his heart and stand as if she didn't care about him. 

But she had to. She had Hunter. And she felt nothing for Chris. 

"Chris, I-" 

"Please don't turn me down," Chris begged once more. 

Stephanie McMahon closed her mouth and noticeably regrouped. 

"Chris, I'm sorry, I don't feel the same way," she said steadily without a catch in her voice or a break in her tone. 

__

~ I have never failed to fail ~

Chris stepped back as if he had been hit. His breath quickened, in tune with his heartbeat. Tears rushed to his eyes and clouded them. His jaw shook, his brow creased. His head moved in any given direction, shaking from side to side as if denying what Stephanie had just told him, as if denying a truth deeper than any he could every imagine. 

"No, no," he whispered. 

"I'm so sorry, Chris. I never knew you felt like this. But… but I'm seeing someone." Her voice now was compassionate. 

So that was it. That was the problem. She was seeing someone. Someone not in the WWE, because he had never seen her with another man. 

He closed his eyes tightly. 

Struggling to keep her own shocked emotions in, she said, "I think you should go now, Chris." 

"But-"

"Please, Chris." 

He couldn't bear to hurt her. He walked to the door, trembling, his heart breaking into pieces so small you could hold it on your fingernail. 

"Are you-?" he started, relishing in the fact she may have changed her mind. 

"I'm sure, Chris."

The tears beginning to fall, he left the office. 

Once he was gone, Stephanie collapsed in her chair and put her head in her hands, her posture that of someone's who had been beaten brutally and left for dead. 

__

~ Pain ~

Hunter met her at in the men's bathroom, the one place he knew they wouldn't be disturbed. Everyone had his or her own bathrooms. There would be no reason for them to come in. Nonetheless, they went into a stall, and he told Sean Walters, his best friend, to watch the door. 

"When can you leave her?" she asked. 

"Give me another two weeks." 

"And the other one?" 

"I can dump her as soon as she's willing to drop the strap." 

"Well, that's good." Smiling, she wrapped her arms around Hunter and kissed him passionately. 

"We'll be together soon." 

__

~ Pain ~

Stephanie ran out to her car, unable to deal with her emotions any longer. She had to get away from Chris' presence, away from the unending questions that kept nagging at her. Chris was in her dreams; he loved her, what did it all means? 

The rented car was a swift one, and she bolted to her hotel, where her father would be. She had to do something, had to make decision that would affect someone so she could deal with their emotions and not her own. If she made someone drop a belt, everything would work out. She could deal with their rage. She couldn't deal with her terrible emotions. 

"Daddy!" she cried breathlessly as she burst into his hotel room. 

"Stephanie, honey, what's wrong?" Vince McMahon cried as she flew into his arms. He had been watching a movie, but nothing came before his children. Nothing. 

"Daddy, Stacy Kiebler… Daddy, I hate her so much!" 

"But why?" 

"She makes fun of me all the time, laughs at me for Hunter dumping me and blaming me for all her problems with the belt, why can't I give her easy opponents? I mean, she barely wins whenever she defends it, it's not my fault, is it? It's not? I mean, I didn't do anything to her, I never even talk to her, and the belt is the only reason I have to talk to her because I have to tell her what matches she has to be in and why and I can't stand it anymore, Daddy!" 

Startled, Vince held her at arm's length. His eyes turned furious. "Well, honey, if the belt bothers her so much, then I don't see why you just don't give it away!" 

"What?" Stephanie acted as if the idea was unheard of.  


"Give the belt to someone else, someone who won't bother you that much." 

"But… Daddy, she won it…"

"And I have the power to fire her unless she drops it. I'll call her right now." 

"Daddy… thank you!" 

"But who do you want to give it to? Someone worthy, though." 

Stephanie hadn't thought of this. Her mind snapped directly to the one person who hardly talked to her but with whom she was on friendly terms with. "Molly Holly." 

__

~ Pain ~

"Hunter, did you hear what Vince is making me do?!" 

"Stacy, calm down, what?" He planted his voice soothing. 

"I have to drop the belt, Hunter!" 

"WHAT?" Hunter started. He glanced at the female next to him on the bed. She looked up from under the covers, her mouth hanging open. 

"I have to drop it, Hunter! To Molly Holly of all people!"

His eyes snapped open. A slow smile crept to his face. 

"What?" the female asked quietly. 

"I'll call you back, Stacy, I have Vince on the other line, sorry." 

"But-"

"He's waiting, bye!" He hung up and looked at her. "You have what you want."

"She gave it up?" Molly Holly asked. 

__

~ You know you're right

You know you're right

You know you're right ~

Chris drove up to the cliff. 

__

~ I'm so warm and calm inside

I no longer have to hide ~

Chris screamed. 

Stephanie awoke, her breath hard. 

"Honey, what's wrong?" Hunter jumped up. 

"Nightmare," she gasped. "It was nothing."

"About what?"

"Just some stuff, okay?" Stephanie put her head back on the pillow. 

"Tell me," Hunter prompted, on edge. 

"No, just leave me alone, okay?" 

"What?"

"Hunter, just leave me alone!" 

"Okay, okay, fine then!" 

"Don't yell at me!" Her voice was broken. 

Hunter couldn't take this anymore. She was so annoying, so nagging, so persistent. She cried at everything and anything. She was weak, and couldn't stand even the smallest bit of antagonizing. He had lived with her for two months and still couldn't get used to the weakness inside of her, the weakness he hated. 

He tried to maintain his composure. He thought of Molly, and his heart cried out. It hurt him not to be with her, not holding her at night. 

"Just leave me alone!" Stephanie repeated. 

He snapped. 

__

~ There's talk about someone else

Sterling silver begins to melt ~

"You know what, Steph?" He got up from the bed. "You know what? There's only one reason I came back to you, Stephanie. Only one. You want to know what it is? Do you really want to know? Really, truly?"

She gaped at him. 

"Because of the belt, only because of the belt. I don't understand why anyone would want to come back to you, Stephanie. I mean, look at how stupid you are. You played into it so well. You wanted me back so much it hurt, didn't it? I'm the only reason you live, Stephanie, the only reason."

She got up from the bed and backed up to the door, shaking. 

"Don't give me that look! You know it's true. You're all so easy to fool… you and Stacy and Vince and Austin… I've fooled you all, and you can't even catch it when it beats you in the face. I wanted it quiet, because I _knew _if someone found out, they would wonder. It was all a part of the plan, Stephanie: I only wanted one thing, just one, and that's the belt. 

"And you've given me two things, Steph: the love of my life the belt." 

Stephanie ran into the door. 

"Yes, it's Molly." 

She turned. 

"You're so worthless and stupid. You have no reason to live."

She bolted. 

__

~ Nothing really bothers her

She just wants to love herself ~

Stephanie cried as she drove towards the cliff, her life now nothing. 

No one loved her, everything was useless. Hunter was forever gone to her, he hated her. Her life was gone. There was no reason to live. No reason. She had to end the pain. It was as if a knife was killing her, was slowly starving her of oxygen. She groaned in the car, unable to bear the weight of the massive pain grinding down upon her heart. 

Her hands wobbled as she drove, and she almost hit a car. And she didn't care. 

Death was the only answer to anything anymore. 

__

~ I won't move away from here.

You won't be afraid of fear ~

Chris sobbed and lay down on the cliff. He let his head hang over. His bottled was empty. He had one more waiting, the only thing he needed to do was open it. 

She hated him. She didn't love him. His light was over. Life wasn't worth living. Nothing was. She didn't love in. She didn't love him. She didn't love him. She didn't love him. What point was there to even be alive? 

He opened the last bottle. His knife lay at his side. 

How chicken. He didn't have the balls to cut his wrist. He didn't have the courage to suffer his death, the only thing he could do. He was going to jump, and once he reached the bottom, it wouldn't hurt. 

Nothing would hurt anymore. 

__

~ No thought was put into this

Always knew it would come to this ~

Stephanie heard Chris scream as she got out of the car. She could see his face, wrenched in agony. 

Was she dreaming? No, it hurt. Her heart hurt. She didn't want to hurt anymore. Nothing mattered anymore. Hunter hated her. Chris wouldn't speak to her. Nothing in life mattered. It was all gray and bleak to her. What was the point of living if no one loved you? 

She started to the cliff. 

__

~ Things have never been so swell

I have never failed to fail ~

Chris slashed his wrist with the broken bottle. Yes! He had actually done something brave. His face wrenched in agony. 

This was it. He was in pain. It was time to end everything. 

He inched more over the cliff. 

__

~ Pain 

Pain 

Pain ~

This was it. She ran.

__

~ You know you're right ~

Chris screamed as he went over. 

And suddenly there was silence. 

__

~ You know you're right ~ 

Stephanie ran to the edge, struggling not to chicken out. If she stopped, she would live a lifeless existence, and that scared her more than anything ever could. 

She ran at full speed to the cliff, knowing this was it. 

As she ran, a scream echoed and was suddenly silenced. 

The scream was Chris'. 

Stephanie McMahon stopped at the edge. 

She thought about it once and said a prayer for forgiveness. 

Then she jumped. 

__

~ You know you're right ~

~*~*~*~

__


End file.
